Slug casting machine



NOV. 21, G F EYs SLUG CASTING MACHINE Filed June 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NOV. 21, G F HUMPHREYS SLUG CASTING MACHINE Filed June 2, 1951 2 SheetsSheet 2 Ffg.2- //,I

Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES SLUG CASTING MACHINE Guy F. Humphreys, Minot, N. Dak., assignor to Mergenthaler Linotype Company, a corporation of New York Application June 2, 1931. Serial No. 541,619

6 Claims.

This invention relates to slug casting machines, such as linotype machines of the general organization represented in U. S. Letters Patent to O. Mergenthaler, No. 436,532, wherein circulating matrices are released from a magazine in the order in which their characters are to appear in print and then assembled in line, the composed line transferred to the face of a slotted mold, the mold filled with molten metal to form a slug or linotype against the matrices which produce the type characters thereon, and the matrices thereafter returned through a distributing mechanism to the magazine from which they started. The mold filling operation is effected by a pump located in a so-called metal pot which is rocked forwardly at the proper time to cause its mouthpiece to close the mold slot at the rear. As the slugs are successively cast, they are ejected from the mold and discharged into a receiving galley, wherein they are assembled side by side in a row or column under the influence of a periodically operated stacking device.

The present invention is more particularly concerned with the stacking of the slugs in the galley, and has for its object to provide a slug stacking mechanism of simple construction and which will be thoroughly eflicient in operation. To this end, it is proposed to operate the slug stacker by the forward movement of the metal pot, the operative connections consisting of a bellcrank lever arranged to cooperate with one leg of the pot and a yieldable link connection between said lever and the stacker. A spring, pulling on the stacker or its operating connections, serves normally to hold the stacker in its retracted position, the slug advancing stroke of the stacker being imparted thereto in a positive manner by the forward movement of the pot. Hence, the stacker is operated but once in each machine cycle, and its operation is smooth and even throughout. To permit the stacker to yield in the event of undue resistance being oifered to its slug advancing stroke, the connecting link is made in two relatively movable sections normally held apart by a compression spring.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention is shown merely by way of example and in preferred form, but obviously many changes and variations may be made therein which will still be comprised within its spirit. It should be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment, except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the casting mechanism of a linotype machine equipped with the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the improved stacking mechanism; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing the stacking mechanism in plan.

As usual, the slotted mold l is mounted on the rotatable disc 2, which locates it first in a horizontal position for the casting of the slug and then in a vertical position for the ejection of the slug. During casting, the mold is closed at the front by a composed line of matrices and spacebands 3 presented momentarily thereto by the first elevator 4, and at the rear by the mouthpiece 5 of the metal pot 5, from which molten metal is ejected into the mold by the pump 5 The metal pot 5 is provided with supporting legs 6 and 6 pivotally mounted at their lower extremities on a horizontal cross bar 7 of the customary vise frame. At its rear side, the metal pot has pivotedthereto a resilient rocking lever 9, carrying a roller 10 arranged to track on the peripheral surface 8 of a cam 8, mounted so mentarily against the back of themold for the casting operation, and then permit it to fall back by gravity to its normal inactive position as shown in Fig. l. The mold disc then rotates to carry the mold from its horizontal casting position to its vertical ejecting position, where the slug is expelled from the mold and delivered (by means not shown) to a galley 11 at the front of the machine.

The galley 11 is supported in an inclined position by a bracket 12, having an upturned front portion 13 to hold the galley in place and being rigidly secured to the vise frame at 12 and 12 A vibratory stacker, comprising a head portion 14 and a crooked operating lever 15 pivoted to the vise frame at 15 is arranged at the receiving end of the galley and serves to advance the slugs therein as they are successively delivered from the mold.

As thus for described, the parts and their mode of operation, except as hereinafter pointed out, are or may be the same as embodied in the commercial linotype machines and therefore require no further description.

According to the present invention, the stacker lever 15 is connected by a long link 16, which extends horizontally across the front of the vise frame behind the first elevator slide 4 to a multiplying lever in the form of a bell-crank 17, having a short arm 18 and a long arm 19, and which is centrally pivoted at 20 on a bracket 20 attached to the vise frame. The short arm 13 of the lever 17 is formed with a fiat surface 21, arranged to bear against the leg 6 of the metal not 5, and it is always held against the leg by a tension spring 22, one end of which is secured to the vise frame by a screw 23, and the other end of which is attached by a hook 24 secured to the outer end of the long arm '19 of the lever.

The intermediate connecting link J consists of two rods 25 and 26, connected together by a relief device which will permit the stacking mechanism to yield in the event of any undue strain. At its outer end, the rod 25 isfashioned into a ball 23, which fits into a corresponding socket formed in the end of the lever arm 19, and which is held in place by a removable cover 29. At its opposite or inner end, the rod 25 is screwed into the end 30 of a cylinder 27, an adjusting nut 31 being provided to limit the extent to which the rod may be screwed into the cylinder and thereby serving to vary the eilective length of the connecting link. The rod 26 is likewise connected at its outer end a ball-and-socket joint to a mid- Way located side extension 32 of the stacker lever 15. The other or inner end of the rod 26 extends within the cylinder '27, passing through a coil spring 33, which is held therein by a detachable end cover 34. At its extreme inner end, the rod 26 is provided with a nut or retainer 35 for engagement with the free end of the spring 33.

' As a result of the foregoing arrangement, if the strain on the stacking mechanism is greater than it should be, the two rods 25 and 26 will be pulled apart, causing the nut 35 to compress the spring 33 within the cylinder 27. Normally, of course, the spring 33 will serve to hold the nut 35 up against the closed end of the cylinder 27 and the parts will function as if the comiecting link 16 were made of one piece.

The operation of the parts is as follows: As the metal pot 5 is moved forward by the cam 8 to bring its mouthpiece 5 into engagement with the mold 1, the short arm 18 of the lever 1'7, which bears constantly against the leg 6, is rocked forwardly thereby. This rocking movement of the lever, as multiplied by the longer arm 19 thereof, is transmitted through the connecting link 16 to the stacker lever 15, which moves the head portion 1 laterally into the galley to advance the slugs therein. The spring 33, which forms a part of the intermediate connecting link 16, while of such tension as to render the connecting link substantially rigid under normal conditions, will yield sufficiently under abnormal conditions to prevent damage to the parts. When the metal pot recedes after the casting operation, the stacker lever 15 is returned to its original inactive position by the tension spring 22, which is weaker than the spring 33 but strong enough to keep the crank arm 18 always in contact with the pot leg.

If desired, the lever 1'? could be connected positively to the metal pot leg so as to be rocked positively in both directions, out is preferred to have it bear against the leg under spring tension as shown, so that the vise frame may be swung freely to and from its normal position as usual. In this connection, it may be noted that, except for the metal pot leg, all parts of the slug stacking mechanism are mounted in the vise frame so as to be movable therewith. Any suitable stop may be employed to prevent the pull of the tension spring 22 and the weight of the stacker from moving the stacking mechanism out of position when the vise frame is rocked forwardly. In the present instance, this movement is controlled by 2. lug 15 made integral with the stacker arm 15 and adapted to bear against the end wall 15 of the channel 15 formed on the periphery of the support 15 and in which the lug 15 rides to permit the normal movement of the stacker.

The improved stacking mechanism, aside from being of simple construction, is particularly efiicient, in operation, since the movements of the slug stacker proper are carried out smoothly and evenly and without unnecessary lost or idle motion. In prior constructions, by way of contrast, (wherein the slug stacker is operated from the justifying devices), the operation is rather violent and jerky and moreover takes place twice as often as is required owing to the two-stage operation of the justifying devices. The improved mechanism possesses the added advantage of being applicable to machines which are not equipped with justifying devices. These and other advantages will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a mold, a movable metal pot to cooperate with the mold, a galley to receive the slugs as they are delivered from the mold, a slug stacking lever arranged at the receiving end of the galley, an operating lever therefor arranged to be engaged and actuated by the movable pot, an intermediate motion transmitting member connecting the two levers and comprising two rods connected together, by a relief device, said relief device com prising a cylinder secured to the inner end of one of said rods, a compression spring arranged within the cylinder, and. a retaining nut on the inner end of the other rod and engaged'with the free end of the compression spring. I

2. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a mold, a movable metal pot to cooperate with the mold, a galley to receive the slugs as they are delivered from the mold, a slug stacking le'ver ar anged at the receiving end of the galley, an operating lever therefor arranged to be engaged and actuated by the movable pot, an intermediate motion transmitting member for connecting the two levers comprising two rods connected together by a relief mechanism, the advancing stroke of the slug stacking lever being effected by the forward movement of the metal pot, and

a spring to effect the return stroke of the slug stacking lever during the rearward movement of the metal pot. v

3. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a mold, a movable metal pot to cooperate with the mold, a galley to receive the slugs as they are delivered from the mold, a slug stacking'lever arranged at the receiving end of the galley, an operating lever therefor arranged to be engaged and actuated by the movable pot, and an intermediate motion transmitting member connecting mounted in the machine, and slug stacking mechanism mounted on the vise frame, said stacking mechanism including a stacking lever adapted to be moved in one direction by the metal pot as the latter is moved to cooperate with the mold, means to move the stacking lever in the return direction, and means to limit the movement of the stacking lever in either direction when the vise frame is moved from its operative position in the machine.

5. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a movable metal pot, a vise frame pivotally mounted in the machine frame so as to be movable to and from operative position, and slug stacking mechanism mounted on the pivoted vise frame, said mechanism including a stacking lever, means adapted to align with and be engaged and actuated by a part of the metal pot to operate said stacking lever when the vise frame is in operative position, and means to maintain the alignment of said operating means when the vise frame is out of operative position.

6. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a movable metal pot, a movable vise frame adapted to be opened and closed, and a slug stacking mechanism mounted on the movable vise frame, said mechanism including a stacking lever, a bell-crank pivoted at the bend, one arm being connected with the stacking lever and the other arm being in engagement with a leg of the metal pot when the vise frame is closed, and a stop to limit the pivotal movement of the bellcrank when the latter is moved out of engagement with the leg of the metal pot by the opening of the vise frame, whereby said stop serves to maintain the bell-crank in engaging relation to the leg of the metal pot upon the closing of the vise frame.

GUY F. HUMPHREYS. 

